Today I heard about a small book that could change the world and my first thought was how could social media play a role in getting people to read it? The book, Time for Outrage: Indignez-vous! is by Stephane Hessel (pictured), a former World War II French resistance fighter and has sold nearly 2 million copies in France and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Now it is for sale in the United States.
It was while listening to a report about the book on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition that I got the idea: I would love to buy 10 copies of this book and get them into the hands of people under 30.
But how could I do this? Why social media of course.
So here is the challenge: I am challenging all of you in social media with large numbers of followers to find one among you who will set up a web site where people like me can buy copies of the book (it lists for $8 hardback on Amazon.com) and then ensure through a third party (perhaps Amazon) that those books get into the hands of people under 30.
Come on Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres, Shaquille O’Neal … you or someone like you has the resources to create such a site and make this happen (and I’d be glad to help!).
Why is this important? This is what the author, Hessel, says:
"If you want to be a real human being — a real woman, a real man — you cannot tolerate things which put you to indignation, to outrage," he says. "You must stand up. I always say to people, 'Look around; look at what makes you unhappy, what makes you furious and then engage yourself in some action.' "
So, can social media make this happen? Please help by spreading the word. I will buy the first 10 copies.
Can we make this work?
Image of Stephane Hessel from Wave magazine
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